Celebrating the day, today

Today is 14th February 2011, one most sought day from all the days in a year, for most people in the world. It is believe that this is the most romantic day to celebrate endearing everlasting love, and the most perfect day to express true feeling to their love ones. Most of these people, they race to buy bouquet of flowers, box of chocolates, planning a romantic candlelight dinner in the most expensive and most beautiful decorated restaurant, only to celebrate this 'day of love'. To most grownups, this is the chance to show their inner passion in most intimate way. And during this day, most company will look forward to sell their products in 'valentine's theme', pinks and reds, and whites with thousands of heart. Some will raise the price as high as triple the normal price, claiming that the demands are so high, when in fact it is actually one of the most reliable tactics to get extra incomes throughout the year. A single red rose on normal day may cost as little as 50cents a stalk, but on this particular day, it could be as much as 5dollar a stalk.

The question here, should we or should we not celebrate the day?

Personally, I believe as a human being, we should be allowed to practise freedom as much as we want, as long as those are still accepted by the society. Accepted in my point means from local views, cultures and common religious belief. We live in cultured society, which obeys rules and regulations, and it is our duty as a responsible member of society to always respect those laws.

Again, to the question. When we look back to the date of Valentine's Day, it's clear that the celebration is never recognize in Hijri Calendar. The historical value of the day itself is never mention in Quran. As a faithful Islam believers, Muslims are expected to practise Islam in their daily life, and focus on most important things in world; to be a good Muslim, keeping faith and spreading Islam teachings with wisdom and love. Therefore such celebration as Valentine's Day, it doesn't count in Islam events, so Muslims are never encourage to celebrate it. And a good Muslim should make his or her own decision independently whether it is appropriate for them to celebrate the day or not. I'm not going to elaborate more from religious side of this celebration, as I don't have great knowledge to write this from Islam's view, but for those interested, please click HERE. (It's written in Malay)

Living in multicultural society like Malaysia, we could not deny the fact that some of Malaysians do celebrate the day, no matter in what ways, by exchanging gifts, going out for date, or movies, romantic lunch or dinner, hanging out with friends etc. But when youngsters, some are as young as middle school teenagers, some of them thought that they should celebrate the day as if a grownups should (to a certain extend, as a married couple should), the celebration then turns to be very upsetting and perhaps become the source of annoyance to some concern citizens. Some kids believe and swear the only way they could express their 'true love' are by giving up their virginity (to girls) or proposing an intimate relationship (to boys). In simple word, committing adultery. That what rages most parents in Malaysia, when that act does promotes a high teenage problems such as underage pregnancy, abortion, etc.

I think the best way to manage this unwanted yet harmful situation is to reeducate our youngsters with good moral knowledges, and encourage them to practice the true religious teaching. Thinking about it, we should also reeducate our society, with a good moral teaching on which practice is acceptable in local view. In Islam, these kids need to be taught the Islamic teaching as early as the parents could, and the responsibilities lies to the parents until they reach puberty. Whereas in Malay cultures, these teenagers, the responsibilities to teach and protect them (especially to girls) lies to the parents, until they finally get married.

In true Islamic teaching, there is no concept of courting before marriage as commonly practice in most western country. Muslims believe that their spouses are already written in the God's Holy Book, and every Muslims believe that marriage is a bless for them to strengthen their faith, a legal way to release their physical need and at the same time to be able to continue living as true Muslim. But of course, as a religion that teaches with wisdom and love, every mature Muslim has their own right to do what they want, as long as they never cross the border of teaching in Islam. I also believe that other religion as Christian, Jew, Buddha, Hindu, they also encourage their believers to avoid adultery before marriage, especially to the youngsters.

My advice especially to Malaysian's youngsters out there, please and please think twice before you finally decide to do something that requires 'ultimate sacrifice' to express true love, as you'll never sure whether the love you have is truly the 'true one' or not, or whether it's worth all the things in the world (and after world as well). I've wrote about this in my previous post, please have a look at it. LOVE TALKS.

For those celebrating the day, may the love you have now do forever be your true love. For those married couple, may your marriage blooming ever since, not only on this day. To dating couple celebrating the day, everyone knows that you are wise enough to make your own decision. And for young lovers, I should have good faith on you to be wise.

Be wise, and keep wise. Your choice.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

My version of 'Valentine's Day' is celebrated all day in a year, and next year, and next year and next year.. As always, I love my dearest husband..